Position Paper: Guarantees to Ensure Respect for Freedoms, Impartiality in Elections, and National Agreement Prerequisites to Conducting Local Elections in Palestine

This position paper aims to clarify the position of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights on the decision of the Palestinian Government in Ramallah to conduct elections in all local councils in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Elections are set to be held in application of the High Court decision that was issued on 13 December 2010. The decision revokes a previous decision by the Ramallah Government, in which it postponed the local elections for an unlimited time. Following the High Court ruling, the Ramallah Government has decided to conduct elections in all local councils in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) on 9 July 2011.